Remittance Comparison
See what your recipient actually gets in Naira, side by side, before you send
Today’s parallel market rate: 1 USD ≈ ₦1,390
Buy USDT → swap on a Nigerian exchange
Estimated ~1% to acquire USDT abroad, plus a flat ₦3,000 for network + NGN withdrawal fees. Requires comfort with a crypto exchange on both ends — not for everyone.
Check live quote at Crypto (USDT) →App transfer (wallet/card/bank)
PromoFirst transfer often includes a rate bonus on top of the standard rate shown here.
Zero transfer fee — LemFi typically prices very close to the CBN official rate. Rates aren't published as a fixed number, so check the app for the live quote, especially first-transfer promos.
Check live quote at LemFi →Economy transfer (3-5 business days)
PromoNew customers often get a better "Special rate" on their first transfer only, up to the first $500 (or equivalent) — the standard rate shown here applies to the rest of that transfer, and to every transfer after.
Economy tier shown here (free, slower). Express costs an extra ~$2-4 fee for delivery in minutes instead of days.
Check live quote at Remitly →App transfer (debit card)
Zero transfer fee, ~0.64% built into the exchange rate. Per Sendwave's own FAQ, USD-denominated/domiciliary-account payouts are currently restricted by CBN policy — standard NGN bank payouts are unaffected.
Check live quote at Sendwave →Bank transfer (ACH)
Uses the mid-market rate with no markup — fee only (~$1 fixed + ~0.67% of the amount for a bank-linked send).
Check live quote at Wise →Online transfer (card)
PromoNew customers often get a $0 transfer fee on their first online transfer.
Fee (~3%, card-funded) is charged on top of the amount sent, plus a ~2.4% markup built into the exchange rate. Bank-linked funding is usually cheaper — check westernunion.com for your exact quote and any first-transfer fee waiver.
Check live quote at Western Union →Estimates only, based on each provider’s published pricing and typical fee structure — not a live quote. Actual amounts vary by payment method, promos, and market movement. Not every provider operates in every sending country — availability is noted per result. Always confirm the exact figure on the provider’s own site before sending.
Wise, LemFi, Remitly, Western Union, Sendwave, or Crypto — What Actually Gets to Nigeria
Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate and charges a transparent fee on top — typically the cheapest option for bank-to-bank transfers, and the rate itself isn’t marked up.
LemFi (formerly Lemonade Finance), Remitly, and Sendwave are diaspora-focused apps that charge zero or low flat fees and make their money on the exchange rate margin instead — often competitive with Wise, but only available from a specific set of sending countries (mainly the US, UK, Canada, and parts of the EU).
Western Union is faster for cash pickup and has the widest reach across Nigeria, but usually costs more overall: a transfer fee plus a built-in markup on the exchange rate itself, so the number you see isn’t the full story until you check the rate too.
Crypto (USDT) can land closer to the parallel market rate — often better than the official rate banks and money transfer operators settle at — but it requires comfort using a crypto exchange on both ends, and rates move with the market.
The right choice depends on how fast you need the money there, how your recipient wants to receive it, and how comfortable you are with each platform. Use the calculator above to compare the actual Naira payout for your amount before you commit.